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Illinois Public Media

Illinois Army Corps Team Providing Storm Relief in NYC

Some experts from the Quad Cities have arrived in New York to help the city recover from Superstorm Sandy.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Rock Island District of the Army Corps of Engineers sent four members of what it calls the "un-watering team."

Rodney Delp, Chief of Emergency Management for the district, says these engineers have helped pump out New Orleans after several recent hurricanes. And their job in New York will be to figure out how to pump water out of subway and utility tunnels.

"There could be any variation of 5 feet to 40 or 50 feet below ground level," he said. "So they have to determine the depth of the bottom of the opening they're trying to pump out, how high they have to pump it, and where the pumped water has to go."

Now that it's sent some people, the Rock Island District is preparing to send equipment as well.

"And so we're inventorying our pumps, exercising them, doing maintenance on them and getting those ready in case they get called into the New York area," he said.

Delp says these engineers are experts in figuring out where the water is, how much there is, what pumps and other equipment will be needed, and how long it might take.